


lost (and found)

by yeolsbun



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Artist Chanyeol, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Heartbreak, M/M, i realize i never gave baek a job oops, let’s say he’s a pianist or something i’ll write more for that, other exos probably mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2020-04-11 15:03:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19112119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeolsbun/pseuds/yeolsbun
Summary: successful artist park chanyeol is a little bit lost in life before and after a bad breakup, but his new neighbor byun baekhyun unknowingly helps him back into the swing of things.





	lost (and found)

**Author's Note:**

> i’m a sucker for chanbaek

chanyeol’s a little lost. he knows that, at one point or another, everyone gets lost, but it feels like he’s been wandering and wandering with no hope of finding where he needs to go. there’s no one to guide him, no one to hold his hand or hug him close and tell him he’s okay, it’s all okay. he hasn’t found anyone like that yet, and honestly, he doubts he ever will. he’ll drown in his sea of loneliness, crying and begging for help from someone _who isn’t there and_ ─ he snaps out of it. he lets out a sigh, picking up his paintbrush and dipping it into the bright red paint. bright red, so bright it hurts his eyes… he presses his brush to the canvas, staring at it bleakly with blank eyes as he drags it down, leaving a long, red streak in the midst of his painting of crashing waves. the beautiful blue scene is now ruined, but he doesn’t care. the painting was going to be something _grand_ , as said by yoora, who would of course know these things because she collects paintings _for god's sake_ . he sighs, setting his brush down along with the paint. he runs a hand through his hair, staring at the ruined painting. his eyes narrow when he feels the familiar prick of tears, hands clenched into fists. it’s so quiet in this little apartment, he hates it. he stares at the red streak until his vision blurs, hot tears slipping down his cheeks. and then, because the universe hates him, he hears the door open and slamming shut. hurried footsteps clomp towards his little studio, the door’s hinges creak and one oh sehun peeks in at chanyeol. he’s home early. _of course_.

“hey,” sehun says, soft and quiet as his warm hands settle onto chanyeol’s broad shoulders. he’s dressed for the cold, for work, or like he’s got somewhere to be. chanyeol’s freezing cold. sehun’s warm. when he leans back to get a good look at his lover, he sees that sehun’s also wearing a frown, worry etched deep into his face. that can’t be good. but still, the younger leans down to kiss chanyeol’s cheek, the way he has every single day since they got together. it’s been two years, almost. two _blissful_ years of waking up to a warm, handsome man beside him, to snuggles under soft blankets in the winter. and yet, something feels off right now.

“hey,” says chanyeol, trying to blink away his tears, but they’re mostly dripping down his face already. his eyes, most likely, are tinged red and swollen, along with his nose. his cheeks, no doubt, are wet.

“did you finish it?” sehun asks, the frown melting away as his eagerness to see chanyeol’s latest piece takes over. “yoora said you’d be finished soon. she said it’s gonna be a good one, yeol.” he kisses the top of chanyeol’s head, finally turning to look at the painting. chanyeol can feel his soul leaving his body, as his eyes well up with more tears.

“sehun, i─” he sniffles, reaching up to wipe the tears away. “it just─ i don’t know why i keep doing this.”

“chanyeol… why did you _do_ that?” his lover’s voice is full of disbelief─ or maybe disdain. “i thought this one was gonna get you out of… whatever the fuck’s going on with you.”

“i don’t know, okay?”  he sighs, tearing his eyes away from the ruined painting. the red streak taunts him still, burning into his vision from the corner of his eyes. “it’s not that simple and you know it.”

“i just don’t get it.” sehun shakes his head, heading for the door. “you were fine last summer, and now look at you. it’s getting pathetic, chanyeol. you mope around in here and ruin your damn good paintings. and don’t even start with that ‘it’s not that simple, you won’t get it’ bullshit! you never tell me what’s going on! we’re supposed to help each other, but i can’t if you don’t say shit.”

“i’m sorry,” chanyeol says, looking down at his hands. sehun wouldn’t understand, anyways. “i’m sorry, sehunnie.”

“doesn’t matter.” he hears sehun moving. “i’m gonna go out for some drinks or something, i think. don’t wait up.”

so he doesn’t. chanyeol goes to bed early, alone, freezing cold because he didn’t close the creaky window. he doesn’t see his lover for a few days, and he isn’t surprised when sehun sits him down a few days later and gently explains why they aren’t working out. he’s surprised that sehun is so soft about it, he knows oh sehun has a temper that’s hard to control. chanyeol cries, but he’s not sure he’s mourning the loss of the relationship or the fact that he’s lost the comfort of another person laying beside him now. he won’t get to wake up with sehun all snuggled up to him and cozy anymore, but it’s his own damn fault anyways. he burns the ruined painting that night and goes back to his routine of hibernating and painting things that look pretty until he ruins them once again.

spring comes soon after chanyeol’s misfortune, bringing warmer days and whispers of better things. there are rumors flying around that sehun’s already engaged, but he doesn’t pay any mind to it, or at least he tries not to. he’s aware that sehun always did catch the eyes of everyone, so it was bound to happen. he just thought that, maybe, it would have been him proposing to sehun, not someone else. each day is full of emotions for chanyeol, but he’s determined to at least paint. they all turn out terribly, but it’s a start. spring is a time for _fresh_ beginnings. and speaking of fresh… someone new has moved to his little town. the newcomer, byun baekhyun, isn’t much, all small and kind of shy with a soft, sweet voice that reminds chanyeol of spring rain when he hears it for the first time. his droopy eyes reflect the heartbreak chanyeol feels, which makes him want to draw the smaller man into his arms and hold him for a good while. he learns through the grapevine that byun baekhyun is recently divorced, formerly married to a popular romance novelist by the name of kim jongin, who writes under the fictional alias kim kai. chanyeol read one of his books once, it wasn’t very good. too much sex, not enough build up for the romance, in his opinion. a relationship should always come from a great friendship, but kai seems to be hooked on his characters finding love through rough sex instead. baekhyun lives next door to him, so close, yet so far away. if only chanyeol had the willpower to leave his own home. he figures someone will tell the little man about him, and maybe he’ll pay chanyeol a visit.

 

surprisingly, he does, but when the artist least expects it. chanyeol’s routine of painting something beautiful only to ruin it is interrupted on a friday night by a frantic knock. he throws on a cardigan because it’s cold and opens the door, ready to act like he isn’t a mess. and there’s byun baekhyun, hugging himself and looking like he’s trying not to cry.  there are tears welling up in his droopy eyes, so chanyeol steps aside and lets him in. the poor thing is trembling, so he takes his cardigan off and drapes it over baekhyun’s shoulders. he’ll be cozy enough, chanyeol hopes. the cardigan dwarfs baekhyun’s smaller frame, but he looks like he’ll be warm enough.

“are you okay?” his voice is scratchy, most likely because he hasn’t spoken in a while. byun baekhyun looks up at him, clutching the cardigan like it’s his lifeline now. his eyes are sparkling with all the tears, and chanyeol thinks he looks beautiful. he blinks, sending tears rolling down his squishy cheeks. chanyeol swears his heart is breaking all over again.

“i just,” says baekhyun, sniffling and looking down. “i’m sorry, mr. park. i just really miss my jonginnie. today would’ve been our third wedding anniversary.”

“ah… i’m sorry.” chanyeol murmurs, gesturing for baekhyun to sit down, doing the same once his guest is comfortable. his mother raised him right, after all. he’s got to be polite.

“that’s… that isn’t why i’m here.” byun baekhyun’s voice is quiet, melodic. something chanyeol would hear in his dreams. “i, um… i came to ask… if i could see your paintings. the nice woman at the grocery store said they’re very lovely.”

“well, she would,” says chanyeol, huffing out a laugh. “that woman is my mother.”

“oh… you know what they say.” baekhyun smiles. “like mother, like son. you’re very nice, both of you.”

“that’s very kind of you to say, baekhyun, but you hardly know me.” chanyeol’s reply is very soft, softer than baekhyun’s own voice. he smiles slightly, clasping his hands together. “i could be the worst man you’ll ever meet, but you wouldn’t know if you only take my mother’s word for it.”

“but i really don’t think you could be the worst man i’ll ever meet.” there’s a lot of fight in byun baekhyun’s soft voice now, it catches chanyeol by surprise. “now… could i please see some of your paintings? i’m dying to see…”

the soft voice seems to fade into nothing, and chanyeol’s heart thumps in his chest. he could show baekhyun his paintings, but suddenly he’s overly aware of the fact that most of the ones in his studio are ruined. some have been sold to wealthy men and women across the country, and some reside in his mother’s grocery store. those are his best works, of course. the ones he has at home, however, are another story. he sighs and nods, getting up and gesturing for baekhyun to follow him. chanyeol leads him to his studio, sighing softly when he opens the door and flips the light on. the ruined paintings litter the floor,  dried paint splattered on the walls and over his desk. it’s messier than he thought, but a little excited gasp leaves the smaller man as soon as he catches sight of the place. he grips onto chanyeol’s arm, holding onto him tightly. baekhyun’s eyes are shining again, but not from tears.

“oh…” he murmurs, clutching onto chanyeol’s arm even tighter. “mr. park, they’re _lovely_ …” he watches baekhyun’s expression, watches his eyes tear up as he looks back up at the artist.

“these ones, ah, they really aren’t.” the taller man shakes his head. “they’re ruined. they’re ugly.”

“no!” baekhyun gasps, his eyes widening. “no, no. they really are beautiful, even if you think they’re ruined. i like them.”

“other people don’t think that way.” chanyeol sighs aloud. “they’re too different. beautiful at first, and then you see what’s been ruined.”

“they’re very different and that’s not… it’s not a bad thing, mr. park.” baekhyun mutters. “it’s like heartbreak, you know? beautiful and terrible.”

“how is it beautiful?” chanyeol asks, because he doesn’t see how it can be _beautiful_. his own heartbreak was messy. it brought many sleepless nights and days full of tears and ruined paintings. things weren’t beautiful, not for him. he doubts baekhyun’s divorce was pretty, too.

“because with heartbreak,” says baekhyun, glancing over at chanyeol. “while it’s so _horrible_ , but it’s kinda like… oh, you know, it’s kind of like a phoenix rising from its own ashes to start life over. you hurt for a while, but it gets better. and that’s beautiful.”    

“poetic.” he doesn’t really think that’s how it always is, though. “if you come back in… i don’t know, maybe a week, i’ll have something better for you to look at.”

“oh well, i like your ruined paintings too. they’re very pretty, you know.” the smaller shrugs slightly, following chanyeol out of the studio. “i should go, it’s getting late. thank you for letting me see.”

“it’s not a problem,” chanyeol replied easily.

“i think,” baekhyun murmurs, “that i’ll be seeing you much more often, mr. park.”

he smiles before he goes, a bright, hundred dollar smile. chanyeol wishes he could snap a photo. baekhyun is so pretty, effortlessly beautiful. he wonders why the _fuck_ a shitty romance novelist would divorce someone like byun baekhyun.

 

he finds out later that baekhyun was the one who wanted a divorce. his mother tells him, because she heard from the landlady. apparently the novelist was a bit unfaithful, which, for some reason, doesn’t surprise chanyeol all that much. the one novel he’d read was _sleazy_ , so it only made sense that the author was equally sleazy. he asks baekhyun about it sometime later, surprised to see the smaller man sigh and give a limp shrug. there were no tears. chanyeol, admittedly, had zoned out most of the time, lost in baekhyun’s sparkling eyes. he’s found that it’s so easy to do that, which is bad because the last time he let himself do that, he’d ended up alone.

the little man is true to his word. chanyeol sees him a lot after their initial meeting. he still hardly leaves his apartment, but baekhyun knocks on his door nearly everyday, bringing food or wine (sometimes _both_ ) with him. they spend nights full of good food and mostly drunk, chattering about everything and nothing all at once. chanyeol loves the feeling that byun baekhyun brings whenever he comes to visit. the seasons change fast after sehun’s out of his life, after baekhyun has stepped in. chanyeol thinks about leaving his safe apartment, but he doesn’t. something else has changed, though… his paintings. less paintings have turned out ruined. he’s repainted the one he’d ruined the night he knew things were over with sehun, and it turned out wonderfully. yoora had proclaimed that the great, talented park chanyeol had returned when she saw it, but he wasn’t sure. it’s been a while now, since he’s displayed the persona of park chanyeol, beloved artist. he’s just been chanyeol, depressed loner, for quite a while, although that period of time was made much more bearable by baekhyun. baekhyun, his precious, new closest friend, the best thing life has gifted him with. things are undoubtedly better, but he doubts they would be if he didn’t have a friend like baekhyun by his side.

 

then he doesn’t see baekhyun for a while. it’s like the little man has disappeared, gone to a place where chanyeol… can’t find him. it’s been at least three days since he’d seen him, since they’d laid on the floor of his apartment together, drunker than ever but warm and happy. he painted the next morning, too. he’s painted a small portrait of two pretty brown eyes, eyes that shine like the stars above his head every night. but he doesn’t want to seem creepy for painting part of baekhyun, so he locks it in a cupboard in his studio as soon as it’s dry. it’s his best painting yet, he thinks, because finally it’s something that came from the heart. he sighs, chasing thoughts of baekhyun and the painting out of his head. he should work on what yoora’s been praising instead of daydreaming. the reworked version of the crashing waves that he’d ruined the night sehun left, when he knew everything was over for good. it’s turning out even better than the original that he’d burned, too. he wants to work on it, but he can’t stop worrying about baekhyun. he sits in front of the canvas for a good few minutes before deciding he’s going to go to his mother’s store and buy some things to make soup. it’s cold out, he’s been thinking about soup for a while… he gets up from his chair so fast it falls over, racing to his bedroom to find his long coat and wallet. the store isn’t far, he figures he’ll walk. he shrugs on his coat, stuffs his wallet into his pocket and locks the door on his way out. it’s dark out, even though it’s only four in the evening at the latest. he’s glad he’s got his longer coat on, it’s much more chilly out than he’d originally thought. he trudges to the store, thinking about how he used to spend so much time there when he was a teenager. seventeen-year-old park chanyeol had loved spending time with his mother in her little grocery store, but thirty going on thirty-one-year-old chanyeol avoids it as much as he can now. not because he dislikes his mother, but because the little store is a hub for _gossip_ . the old grandmas and aunties gather to chat with his mother about the things that go on and he hated the pitying looks they’d given him after sehun left. but now he’s alright, ready to go to the damn store so he can get the things he needs for some good fucking soup. he glances up at the sky, quickening his pace when he notices the dark clouds _looming_ in the distance. it’s not a good sign. he all but races to the store, slowing down once he’s inside. he doesn’t see his mother, so he goes to find the things he needs. he makes it in and out of the store relatively quickly, hoping to make it home before the rain starts.

he isn’t lucky. he’s soaked by the time he gets home, stomping up the stairs looking like a drenched rat. he sighs, running a hand through his wet hair as he digs through his pocket to find his key. the damn thing slips from his fingers, pulling a loud, exasperated sigh from him. as he leans down to pick up the key, he hears the turning of a doorknob, followed by a creaky sound of the door behind him opening.

“mr. park?” baekhyun’s voice is hoarse and quiet. when chanyeol scoops the key up and turns around, the smaller man is wrapped up in a blanket with watery eyes and a red nose. the poor thing looks so _miserable_ and suddenly, chanyeol is glad he’s decided tonight would be a good night for soup.

“i think,” says chanyeol, slowly. “that we’ve been friends long enough now for you to start calling me chanyeol. mr. park makes me feel old.” but then, he is older than baekhyun by _six years_ , it must be a respect thing.

“i’m sorry…” baekhyun pauses, wheezing, resting a hand on his chest. he’s leaning against the doorframe, eyes half shut. “chanyeol, what are you doing out so late? you’re soaked…”

“i went out,” he replies evenly, holding up the bag of soup ingredients. “figured today was a good day for soup.”

“aren’t you cold?” baekhyun sniffles, shrugging his blanket off before grabbing part of chanyeol’s coat and dragging him inside. well, he’ll finally get to see his friend’s apartment. baekhyun’s hand is frighteningly cold against chanyeol’s skin, when he should be warm judging by how flushed his face is. “it’s so cold outside, chanyeol.”

“yeah, i know.” chanyeol shrugs, handing baekhyun his coat when the smaller tugs on the sleeve in attempt to get it off. “i know, baekhyun. but i wanted to make soup tonight, it’s just about cold enough outside for it.”

“can i have your key?” baekhyun asks softly, before turning away to cough into his elbow. “mmf, sorry- i’d offer you some of the clothes i still have from jongin but… he wasn’t as tall as you are.”

“yeah, here, just…” he fumbles for a second, trying to hand baekhyun the key but dropping it again. he finally slips the key into baekhyun’s cold hand, earning himself a gentle pat on the cheek, and then the smaller is gone. he just stands there like an idiot, waiting for baekhyun to come back. he takes a look around baekhyun’s apartment, taking note of the photos in their nice, shiny frames. there’s one on the mantle of baekhyun and another man, both dressed in nice suits. baekhyun’s is white, and his partner wears a black one. it takes chanyeol a few minutes, but then he realizes that this is baekhyun and jongin’s _wedding photo_. they both look happy, but baekhyun’s smile is slightly wider than jongin’s, his joy and excitement pops out of the picture. they look every bit like a happy couple, and chanyeol’s heart breaks for his friend all over again. he really can’t believe that anyone would cheat on someone as beautiful and wonderful as baekhyun. he wonders what could possibly be going through kim jongin’s head when he decided to cheat on baekhyun, but there’s really nothing that could change his mind about the author being a sleaze. he continues to stare at the photo, lost in thought until a cold hand on his shoulder brings him back to himself.

“i found some clothes for you…” baekhyun says softly, his eyes trained on the photo of himself and jongin. “if you want, um, i could make your soup.”

“no, it’s okay.” he takes the clothes from baekhyun, and his key. “you’re sick, right? you should be resting.”

“um… do you wanna stay? i know your soup is probably important,” baekhyun says, sniffling. “but i want you to stay. i’m lonely.”

“let me just…” chanyeol sets his bag of soup stuff down. “go change. uh, where’s your bathroom?”

“down the hall.” chanyeol glances at baekhyun once before taking off to go change. the wet clothes are making him extremely cold. he changes quickly, glad that baekhyun had picked one of his favorite sweaters. it’s nice and warm, unlike him. he sighs, pulling the sweater over his head. he joins baekhyun in the tiny kitchen once he’s dressed, leaving his wet clothes hanging over the shower. the smaller man still doesn’t look too good, all flushed and looking a bit delirious. he only makes a small noise of protest when chanyeol’s palm presses against his forehead, sighing softly and sort of leaning into the touch. chanyeol takes the bag of soup stuff and sets it on the counter, easily scooping baekhyun up and carrying him to the couch.

“chanyeol… the soup.” baekhyun clings onto the taller man tightly, squeezing his eyes shut. “i wanna make the soup.”

“let me do it, baekhyunnie.” the nickname slips out easily, and chanyeol finds that he _loves_ the way baekhyun’s already flushed cheeks turn an even brighter shade of red. “you just rest, i was gonna do this anyways.”

so he spends the better part of an hour alternating between the kitchen and baekhyun’s cozy little living room, making sure the soup doesn’t boil over and tending to the tiny fireplace and baekhyun. the smaller man’s cheeks are perpetually reddened, but slightly more so when chanyeol pets his hair so gently and coos over him. chanyeol’s also noticed that baekhyun’s breathing is a little erratic, his chest heaving which each breath like he’s trying to get as much oxygen as he can. something might be wrong, but chanyeol’s sure that baekhyun would tell him he’s fine. he listens to the smaller man whine like a puppy when he dozes off, head leaned against chanyeol’s shoulder. the soup is just about done now, but he doesn’t want to disturb baekhyun. besides, he set a timer, which starts shrieking soon after baekhyun has somehow made it into chanyeol’s lap, curled up and making his little puppy whines. he makes a little noise of protest as he wakes, reaching up with a pale hand to rub his tired eyes before they’re even open. chanyeol eases him out of his lap, laying him down against the edge of the sofa before he gets up. baekhyun lets out another small whine, opening one eye to observe chanyeol. chanyeol’s already on his way to the kitchen, taking longer strides to get there faster. baekhyun listens intently, waiting to hear a content sigh. he closes his eyes again, only meaning to rest his eyes, but when he opens them again, chanyeol’s next to him with a bowl of soup. baekhyun sits up with a sigh, tugging the blanket up around his shoulders.

“i put your bowl on the table,” chanyeol mumbles, sighing and taking another bite of soup. he sets it down after, reaching over to give baekhyun a bowl. the smaller man accepts it with a tiny smile, eating slowly. chanyeol’s never witnessed someone eat so slow or so _sensually_ . he really shouldn’t be attracted to baekhyun and the way he _eats_ , but here he is.

“it’s good, chanyeol… but i’m not very hungry…” baekhyun sighs, letting chanyeol take the bowl from him.

“don’t worry, there’s a lot leftover.” chanyeol shrugs, getting up and grabbing his own bowl, taking them both to the little kitchen. baekhyun’s is decorated all cutely, with little white and blue lace curtains over near the window that looks out on the town. he sets the bowls down in the sink with a sigh, gazing out the little window. it’s completely dark now, and he can hear the rain coming down. the street lights illuminate the roads, setting a soft glow about the town. it’s so quiet outside, save for the rain. he sighs again, making his way back to baekhyun. the little man was dozing off again, all flushed and whiny. chanyeol scoops baekhyun up off the couch, making sure to get the blanket too. he takes a random guess at which room is baekhyun’s bedroom, and he’s right. he flips the light on,  laying baekhyun down and tucking him in. he flicks the light off, moving to leave the room, but then baekhyun calls out to him as the rain continues to come down.

“chanyeol…” he says, his voice hoarser than before. “stay, please. i don’t wanna be alone tonight.”

“oh. uh, yeah…” the taller man stands where he is for a second, all awkward and suddenly feeling quite shy. then he sets his coat down, wallet along with it, and perches himself at the edge of baekhyun’s bed. that’s all.

“no, yeol..” baekhyun’s tiny voice breaks through his thoughts once again. “i want you to hold me.”

“oh. right—” so he lays down beside the smaller of the two of them, hesitantly wrapping his arms around baekhyun’s small body. he hears the tiny sigh of relief as baekhyun snuggles up to him, soft cheek smushing against his chest as pretty eyes fall shut. chanyeol stays still as baekhyun’s breathing evens out, listening to the soft little yipping sounds baekhyun makes as he falls completely asleep. it’s adorable, and chanyeol knows he’s in trouble now.

he wakes early in the morning, once again to the sound of rain. baekhyun’s still asleep, still making his little puppy sounds as he dreams blissfully. his cheeks are still flushed a bright red, but he’s adorable. this is something that chanyeol wants to paint, wants to keep with him forever. he wants baekhyun to be in his life for… _forever_. then the smaller man wakes up, letting out a soft noise of protest as he shifts in chanyeol’s arms, reaching up to rub the sleep from his eyes.

“did you hold me all night?” his voice is breathless and soft, gentler than anything.

“yeah,” chanyeol answers, just as softly. “did you sleep well?”

“better than i have in _ages_ ,” baekhyun’s reply is accompanied by a small smile. chanyeol wants to kiss him.

 _so he does_.

before he can think better of it, he’s pressing his soft lips ever so gently to baekhyun’s chapped ones, one hand coming up to cup his cheek and the other resting at the small of baekhyun’s back. baekhyun sighs into the kiss, wrapping his arms around chanyeol’s neck and basically melting into him. they fit together perfectly, he thinks. it’s wonderful. when chanyeol pulls away, baekhyun’s small hands grip onto the front of his shirt tightly, keeping him close.

“i’m sorry,” he says, blushing uncharacteristically. “i should’ve asked if that was okay.”

“it was more than okay,” baekhyun breathes, flushed and panting. “it was amazing, chanyeol, god, i don’t think i’d mind if you did it again— but you shouldn’t be kissing me, i’m still sick.”

“i don’t care,” chanyeol replies. “i really don’t care, baekhyun.”

“you should…” he sighs. “but if you wanna get sick, that’s fine. that’s fine, yeol.”

“i’d gladly get sick if it was because i’d been kissing you too much.”

“wow, you’re a sap this morning…” baekhyun mumbles, closing his eyes again. “don’t go… i wanna stay in bed with you _all day_.”

“i don’t have plans, baekhyun.” chanyeol chuckles softly, running his hand through baekhyun’s (sweaty) hair. he’s still so warm… “i stopped going out after sehun left.”

“that’s kinda sad, yeol.” baekhyun murmurs, opening one eye to take a peek at chanyeol. “we could go out when i’m feeling better.”

“i’ll take you out on a date, how about that?” chanyeol asks, pressing a kiss to baekhyun’s cheek.

“fun,” says baekhyun, nodding. “sounds like a plan.”

“i suppose we should talk about that, hm?” he sighs.

“i guess so, chanyeol.” baekhyun is silent for a moment. “i think i’m in love with you.”

“you think?” chanyeol _seems_ surprised. “it didn’t seem like you _think_ you love me when we kissed.”

“gosh,” baekhyun replies, wheezing a bit. “fine, alright, i’m completely and totally in love with you, mr. park.”

“oh,” chanyeol says, his eyes shining brightly. “well, that’s good, because i can say the same thing about you. and quit calling me mr. park, it makes me feel old.”

“but you _are_ old!” baekhyun whines, clinging to chanyeol’s arm. “but fine. i guess calling you mr. park while we’re dating would be weird.”

“it would.” chanyeol agrees. “but, now that all that is out, i think we can move forward.”

“oh,” says baekhyun. “goody.”

needless to say, the relationship progresses beautifully, full of love and warmth and all the good things… but the bad things too. chanyeol still struggles with his paintings and the empty feeling that still lingers, but this time he’s got someone to support him, someone to kiss his worries away. baekhyun is good at it, distracting his taller lover from the struggles of ruined paintings. he seems to know when chanyeol is just about to do the deed, to do something that ruins the entire thing, and it’s easy to stop. he’ll gently pry the paintbrush from chanyeol’s fingers, then he’ll take the paints and set them aside. the last thing he does is tug on chanyeol’s arm until his lover gets up, allowing baekhyun to drag him back to the couch. he lets baekhyun lay him down and snuggle up to him, enjoying the feeling of small, delicate fingers running through his hair. baekhyun smells nice, and he’s always so warm and comforting. chanyeol wouldn’t trade him for the world. kim jongin is a fool for messing things up with someone as special as byun baekhyun.

they’re happy, they really are. they’re happy when they’ve had their first kiss while baekhyun is sick, happy while baekhyun calms chanyeol down after he almost ruins an important painting, happy on their first date, among other things. baekhyun is beyond happy when chanyeol gets down on one knee and asks him to make him the happiest man in the world and marry him, and the two of them are over the moon with joy on their wedding day.

chanyeol loves his married life with baekhyun. nothing has changed, except that they have matching rings and baekhyun is _park_ baekhyun, not _byun_ baekhyun. it’s the second time his surname has changed, but he’s certain this one will stick. chanyeol is, too. he’d never do anything to break baekhyun’s heart, _never_. baekhyun is precious to him, the most amazing thing in his life. his husband is always there when he emerges from his little studio for the first time in half a day, waiting for his good morning kiss even though it’s half past three in the afternoon. baekhyun is the best thing in chanyeol’s life, and he isn’t about to let that go.

“...yeol. chanyeol, are you in there?” baekhyun asks softly, peering over at chanyeol, who is of course lost in thought.

“hm? oh—” he shakes his head a little, taking a good look at the painting in front of him. it’s a portrait of baekhyun— but he can’t accurately capture so much beauty in a painting. “sorry, must’ve zoned out.”

baekhyun smiles, moving the easel and paints away so he can settle into his rightful seat— chanyeol’s lap. he drapes his thin arms around his husband’s neck, snuggling close.

“you should take a break,” he says after a few moments of silence, looking up at chanyeol. “you’ve been at it all day.”

“maybe so…” chanyeol sighs. “you’re right, actually. a break would be nice.”

baekhyun’s little smile morphs into a grin, and then he’s up and dragging chanyeol back to _their_ bedroom.

“let’s take a nap!” he squeals, letting chanyeol lay down first before settling in next to him. he carefully plucks chanyeol’s glasses from his face, setting them on the little table next to their bed. “you look so tired, yeollie. a nap will be good for us.”

chanyeol nods, smiling a bit because he just can’t _help_ smiling around baekhyun.

“i love you, baekhyunnie,” he whispers, holding his husband close.

“mm, i love you too.. now go to sleep, you’re tired.”

baekhyun’s right, he _is_ tired. he falls asleep quickly, feeling loved and warm, how he always does. nothing can beat this, _this_ is the best feeling ever. chanyeol was lost, but _now_...now that baekhyun is by his side forever and always, he’s been found, and he loves it.

**Author's Note:**

> fun fact i was writing this in between my final project for my government and economics class. and i’ve graduated, so there’s more time for fics until i start college.  
> this one took a while, and you can probably see why since it’s longer than my normal fics. i will probably write a (shorter) follow up, because i NEVER mentioned baekhyunnie’s profession and i don’t feel like going back and writing it in right now. it’s midnight and i’m finally finished with this. enjoy, and please let me know what you think!


End file.
